councils, Buddhist

Meetings of Buddhist monks to determine proper Buddhist teachings and ways of life. Buddhists call these councils sangitis or recitations. That is because they often involved the recitation of Buddhist scriptures (see SCRIPTURES, BUDDHIST). Some Buddhist councils were supposedly ecumenical; that is, they included representatives from all Buddhist communities. Actually, participation has often been more limited. Buddhists held councils especially within the 500 years or so after the BUDDHA's parinirvana (see NIRVANA) in 483 B.C.E. (Non-Buddhists think of the Buddha's parinirvana as his death.) In reports about these ancient councils it is often diffi cult to separate legend from actual events. According to tradition, the fi rst Buddhist council took place during the rainy season (mid- June through early September) in the year of the Buddha's parinirvana. At this council followers of the Buddha sought to preserve his teaching. They recited together texts of monastic discipline (the Vinaya) and the Buddha's sermons (Sutras or Suttas). Other early councils recognized by Buddhist tradition include the Council at Vaishali in 383 B.C.E., which resolved a dispute about loose practices by some monks; the council at Pataliputra, convened by the famous Emperor ASOKA around 247 B.C.E., which may have resulted in sending missionaries to other parts of Asia; and the council at Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka in 25 B.C.E. At this council the scriptures of THERAVADA BUDDHISM, known as the Tipitaka, were put into fi nal form. Some Buddhists have looked on meetings held within the last 200 years as councils, too. An example is a council convened in Burma in 1954 to recite all of the scriptures recognized by Theravada Buddhism. It celebrated the 2,500th anniversary of the Buddha's parinirvana.